Recruitment resources for key roles

Your governing board or academy trust will lead on the process for recruiting a new headteacher for your school, but they'll need your support to do this well.

Use these resources to help you write or review your job description and propose interview questions and tasks.

Adapt our model job descriptions and person specifications to your school and role. 

When you're ready to interview, adapt and use our role-specific questions, record sheets and interview tasks, along with tips on what to look for in a candidate's response, to help you select the best possible candidate. 

Download and adapt our model job description for an SBM - it's partly based on the Institute of School Business Leadership's (ISBL's) professional standards. 

Our recommended interview questions include guidance on what to look for in a good answer.

Get to grips with the role of the DSL, and adapt our resources to suit the role in your school. 

These can help you whether you're appointing a DSL or a deputy DSL.

Check that your SENCO candidates have the qualifications they need. 

Download our list of interview questions - it comes with a record sheet to help you evaluate the quality of answers so you can assess candidates fairly.

Whether you're looking for a phase leader, a subject leader, or someone to coordinate cross-curricular topics, these resources can help you run an effective interview and selection process. 

You can adapt our interview questions and tasks for a head of phase or department to suit any subject or curriculum structure.

You can adapt our interview questions and tasks for a head of phase or department to suit any subject or curriculum structure.

Use our interview questions for a head of year to help you choose form tutors or pastoral leads across your school. 

Adapt our job descriptions and lists of interview questions and tasks primary and secondary class teachers, including:

• EYFS teachers
• Teachers on the upper page range
• Early career teachers (formerly known as NQTs)
• Teachers with a teaching and learning responsibility payment (TLR)

Use our interview lesson observation form to help you assess teachers during the interview process.

These resources cover teaching assistants (TAs), higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) and learning support assistants (LSAs). 

If you're hiring a TA who will work specifically with one or more children with SEND, use our dedicated job description and interview questions to help you.

Find out what questions you should ask when interviewing for a caretaker or site manager position, and what to look for in a good answer

Adapt our job description, interview questions and tasks to help you find the most suitable candidate for the catering manager role.

Adapt these job descriptions and interview questions to reflect the scope of the admin or office roles in your school.

Use these resources to help you hire a:

• Careers leader
• Mental health lead
• Midday or cover supervisor
• Leading practitioner
• Breakfast/after-school club co-ordinator 
• Family support worker

Recruiting for something else? Take a look at our full list of job descriptions and interview questions/tasks.